Monday, September 19, 2016

Last week my art group gave a farewell tea in my honor as I leave for Finland soon!!

It was Trina's idea, but when the group decided on a bee theme, Kim's house was chosen since her summer decor is always the bees knees!!

Here are my gracious friends ...,

There were lots of bee treats ... Like this charming cake...

And these cookies ...

And even a cheesy bee ball, yum!

How perfect is that.

Everything was bee-utiful and delicious!!

Here Kim pours herbal tea!!

Kim's house is just a Treasure Trove of Bee memorabilia

Cute bee theme pillows fill most of the chairs ...

Bee theme art work fills the walls.

And charming bee things...

Fill cupboards and ....

people vignettes in table tops!!

I really did feel like the Queen Bee!!! I'm grateful for all those worker bees who so generously created this magical moment for me.

I know I'll love working in Finland for the next year and a half. I hope to have fun posts starring their amazing historic churches, private homes, deliciously simple recipes, simple rustic designs and flea market finds!!!

For a girl raised in the mountain valleys of a dessert state, I know that the low rolling landscapes covered with birches and thousands of lakes, and the hope of seeing the northern lights will be a wonderful experience!!

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Lucky me!! I finally got to check out April James' darling shop in Spanish Fork. I'm imbarrassed to admit that it's been opened for months, but whenever I go grocery shopping nearby, it's always after she's closed!

Happily for me, another errand brought me nearby at a reasonable hour!!

I've shopped both of her previous stores, and knew it would be charming!!

How cute is this display of homemade soaps?

What a great trunk!!

And pork on a platter? Yes, please! Her brother made these stunning Steam Punk Tables!!

How perfect ...

are these!!

And I love the grain sack look, these are fabulous dish towels!!

Galvanized goodness!

And now we approach April's real talent. She does fabulous antique looking finishes with her signature chalk paint!!

And she is one of the most talented artists doing this kind of finishing, if not THE most talented.

Her work looks authentically old!!

She sells the chalk paint she uses AND teaches classes too!!

I saved the best for last, how wonderful is this Union Jack table!! Wouldn't it look great in my Englush cottage parlor someday? OK. Maybe in slightly muted colors!

Last weekend I had the ultimate junking indulgence. I helped my friend Lyn set up at 3dotters, everyone's favorite local show.

Lyn is a blast and it was so fun to help her and her cute daughters hauling in the goods!! She's a widow who specialized in huge, heavy furniture!! Yep, she's a rock star!!

Here's Jenn joyfully laughing with dealers on set up day! Her laugh is so contagious, and typifies the fun it is to do her shows. Before this weekend I've done them all! But since we leave for Finland in two weeks, it seemed impractical!

I was surprised and delighted to see that Vain and Vintage had joined for the first time. When Jenn and I were doing Fleaology together, before she set out on her own, we visited this wonderful store in Pocatello, Idaho on our way to Farm Chicks. Jenn and I, as well as Wendy and Cathie, we're all stunned by its shabby elegance!! I'm

And here they were in Utah for 3Dotters...

A happy surprise!!

Theses are shakers of German Glass glitter!!

Vintage jewelry.

Pump organ pulls (I've yet the figure out a use for these charming bits of history)

Here's a cute booth! No idea of the proprietor but memory worthy none the less!!

Here Wendy shows off her vintage find and meets my friend, Joyce, who is also a friend of Jann's who missed 3dotters to eat pie in New Mexico, yeah, I don't understand either. 😊

And here she meets up with Marci!! Another longtime junking Friend!!

This charming and ethereal booth was done by Jackie, a new junking friend!! I found the most fabulous antique painted tray tucked in the back here and for just $17, when she said my lucky number was her best price I knew it was meant to be! I plan to use it in my English Cottage parlor after our sojourn in Finland!! This charming space belongs to Jill, another new dealer for me to meet!! Talented lady, don't you think? Here's Chris, a dealer at Treasures I've gotten to know well

And another unknown but fabulously talented dealer'sbooth.

My friend Nikki brought smalls, which is good because she was upstairs! She said she'd made 70 trips up those double height stairs to load in... I wish stairs weren't such a bugaboo for me right now!!

I felt lucky to be able climb them once, just to see her fabby collection of smalls!!

Such fun for smash books!!

And of course we can't forget Keith's booth!

So many amazing smalls.

And, as you know, I love his display work!

He's partial to old ironstone platters for gathering smalls, and yes, we have wrangled over a few of those in our day!!

Such happy colors...

It was a fabulous show. Jenn just keeps going, getting better and better dealers! I'll miss shopping her show for the next year and a half ... But who knows what joys I'll find in Finnish junk shops in the meantime!!